


Period of Adjustment

by Zephyrfox



Series: Real Legend [11]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Craig movies), Legends (2014), Sherlock (TV)
Genre: AU, Bullies, Crossover, Friendship, Growing Up, Kidfic, M/M, moments in time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-09-28 13:58:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10110743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrfox/pseuds/Zephyrfox
Summary: When Aiden Odum left LA with his dad, he left behind his friend, Jake. Now that he is feeling settled in London, Aiden decides to send Jake a series of emails to update his friend on what's going on in his life.





	1. New School, New Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RavenOceana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenOceana/gifts).



> This is will be a series of Aiden's emails to his friend, Jake, and his POV on the events that happen in the Real Legend verse. Each chapter should be self-contained, and Aiden's version of one of the stories in the series. This is for RavenOceana, who wanted more of Aiden.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiden writes his first email to Jake, and tells him what's been going on since Aiden left LA. 
> 
> Related stories: Real Legend and First Date

 

_Hi Jake!_

_How are you? How’s Christa and her girlfriend? Are your folks still giving them a hard time?_

_I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye. You will_ **_never_ ** _guess what happened. I had to leave LA to be with my dad because he got transferred to London. My mom decided to run off with our neighbor. No, it wasn’t Mr. Holt, it was Bev. You met her a couple times remember? Anyway, the unbelievable part. My dad used to date this guy in England, James. He’s really cool BTW. James is now dating this other guy, Matthew, but he doesn’t actually use his name, he uses a nickname, Q. Don’t ask, I have no idea. Adults are weird._

 _When we got here, James and my dad realized they still love each other, so now my dad is dating James_ **_and_ ** _Q! Crazy, right? But, it’s kind of neat to see them together. You know how my mom and dad barely touched each other? Your folks touched each other more, and Christa and Liz have their hands all over each other all the time. My dad, James, and Q are like that. So, maybe this will work out between them._

_I hope so, anyway. James is great. He’s been teaching me how to fight, so if anyone tries to start anything with me, they’d better watch out. Q is great too. He helps me with my homework, and he shows me some neat stuff that he can do with computers._

_I’m getting used to life in England. School here is pretty much just like back home, and the kids are kinda stuck-up. I don’t have any friends here yet, so your spot as my best friend is safe, lol!_

_Write back soon,_

_Aiden_

 

~~~~

 

“So, you’re the American. What are you doing in _our_ school?”

Aiden was waiting in the schoolyard for his dad to pick him up. He looked over at the five boys watching him and noted their aggressive stances. He had expected some sort of confrontation, he just hadn’t been sure when. Apparently right after school let out was the time. He straightened up and and looked the boy that had spoken in the eye. “I was raised in the United States, yes.”

The boy, David Reid, frowned at him. The other boys ranged behind David looked at each other, uncertain. “Raised? You mean born, right?”

He smirked. He had a brand new nine-year-old birth certificate, stating that his birth name was Aiden James Trevelyan, and that he’d been born in London. “I meant what I said. Raised. My dad just transferred back home,” he spread his hands, “and here I am.”

He’d chosen his name. He wanted his dad’s last name, and of course for a middle name he wanted James. He had worried that Q would be upset if he didn’t use Matthew, so he’d talked to Q, who said it was fine for him to use James instead.

Q’s cousin, Mycroft, had gotten the birth certificate and other paperwork that proved he was Aiden Trevelyan. Aiden didn’t know how it had been done, but everything looked legitimate. Not that he’d know if any of it were fake, so he kept his mouth shut. Especially when Q began muttering about owing favors.

He glanced around. Other students were gathering around curiously. He picked out a couple of faces in the crowd that he recognized from his classes that day. Waiting to see if there was a fight, no doubt. His dad told him never to take your eyes off the enemy, so he focused back on David.

Two other boys came up and flanked him. He stiffened, then moved so he could see them out of the corner of his eyes. He was a bit disappointed. He hadn’t expected the twins to be part of the group against him. He’d have to talk to his dad and James later to figure out what tells he’d missed.

“Takes someone real confident to go after somebody else needing all that backup, doesn’t it?” Both of the Moran twins had short brown hair and gray eyes, but the twin that spoke had a narrow chin. Vincent, then.

“Someone confident? Are you sure? Looks more like someone who isn’t confident at all to me.” Stephen quirked a sly glance at his twin.

Vincent tilted his head in a show of considering his twin’s words, and then nodded. “You’re right. I was mistaken. He’s not confident at all.”

David clenched his fists and snarled, “Shut. Up.”

Interesting. Vincent and Stephen weren’t with David and his crew, but he shouldn’t count on them to be on his side.

The two slanted amused glances at him, as if they knew what he was thinking. His raised an eyebrow at them, and they both gave him nearly identical grins. Cool.

The three of them closed together with him at the point of their triangle facing David and his friends.

“What are you boys doing?”

It was one of the teachers, Miss Burrows.

The watching students parted, allowing her to come closer.

David smiled at her sweetly as his friends backed away. “Just giving our new classmate a warm welcome, Miss.”

“Oh, yes?” She eyed him skeptically, and then looked each one of remaining boys in the eye, before raising her voice to address all the students in the area. “You all need to head home, not hang around on school grounds.”

There was a chorus of, “Yes, Miss,” as the students disbursed.

The twins hung back, sticking close. Vincent's head tilted a bit to the side, studying him. “Are you going this way? We’ll walk with you.”

Aiden smiled. “Thank you, Vincent, but I think I see my dad’s car. Do you guys want a lift?”

“I’m Vin, this is Steve.” Vin grinned. “Thanks, but we’ll get home quickly enough. Our uncle is picking us up today.”

“Thanks, Steve, Vin.” He snickered at the names, appreciating the joke, while the other two grinned broadly. “And thanks for backing me up today.”

This time it was Steve who answered. “We don’t like seeing unfair odds.”

“Well, still, thanks.”

“Aiden!” His dad waved from the car, as if he couldn’t see the BMW sitting there waiting.

He rolled his eyes. “That’s my dad. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Might be fun.” Vin smirked, elbowing Steve in the side. “Let’s go, there’s Uncle Sebastian.” Then the two took off to where a man that looked just like the twins was waiting for them.

Aiden watched his new maybe-friends greet their uncle, then headed towards his dad’s car.

In the meantime, his dad had gotten out of the BMW, and walked around to meet him at the curb.

His dad looked him him over, as if checking for injuries or something. Apparently he looked all right, because his dad relaxed a bit and smiled. “Hey, kid. Did you have a good day?”

He decided not to mention the almost-fight, and grinned confidently. “Yeah, I did.”

His dad looked pleased, but then reached out and ruffled his hair. “That’s good.”

“Da-aad, c’mon, not in front of the guys!” He ducked away, darting a look around to see if any of the other kids had seen his dad acting weird. At least it wasn’t a hug or something. He was far too old for that.

His dad’s face fell a little, but smiled again quickly. “Oh, it’s _the guys_ is it?”

“Da-aaaad.” Why couldn’t his dad just drop it? They had to get in the car before anyone noticed his dad being all affectionate and concerned. He didn't even _have_ a reputation yet and already it would be ruined.

His dad looked around to see the other kids nearby. “Oh, I see. Go on, get in the car. I’m done embarrassing you — for now.”

He huffed, but got in the car. He was buckling the belt by the time his dad got in and started the car.

He never would have expected everything that had happened to him in the last few months, but he had survived. He wasn’t planning on ever seeing his mom — his _aunt_ — ever again, and his dad wasn’t really his dad except he totally was, and now he was living in London. He had two new potential friends, and he had two men that would be his surrogate fathers if his dad and James had anything to say about it. He was going to like it here.

Before pulling away from the curb, his dad looked over at him. “I’m glad you’re making friends, son.”

He smiled. “Yeah, me too.”

 


	2. Aiden's Christmas, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiden sends his friend Jake an email about Christmas while his dad is taking a nap. But when his dad wakes up, it isn't his dad. Luckily, Aiden manages to phone for help, and James Bond races to the rescue with Q.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Aiden's version of the events of [ Christmas Panic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9065878/chapters/20618602) while he was in the flat waiting for James and Q come and help with his father.

_ Hi Jake, _

_ What are you doing for Christmas? I had to remind Dad about it. They all almost forgot all about it! Q said we would go away and rent a cottage somewhere for the holiday. James says we’re gonna go cut down a tree. That’s gonna be cool! _

_ School’s going to let out for vacation — ‘holidays’ — next week. I’m gonna spend some time hanging out with some new friends. Don’t worry, you’re still my best friend. Maybe you can come visit sometime! _

_ Aiden _

 

~~~~

 

Aiden hit send on the email to Jake and turned the computer off. Then he turned around and looked over at the couch to check on his dad. It looked like he’d fallen asleep.

They’d had a fun day hanging out together and seeing movies. They’d started with the last Hobbit movie, Battle of Five Armies, and then they’d gone to see the latest Night at the Museum movie, Secret of the Tomb. His dad had been tired after that, so they’d gotten some take away for dinner instead of going to the restaurant the way his dad had planned.

But by the time they’d gotten home, his dad had a bad headache, and decided to rest on the couch for a bit. 

He decided to watch TV, and made sure his show wasn’t too loud. He switched on the set and found an episode of Doctor Who. He grinned. Q had introduced him to the show, and he liked it.

He grabbed a cushion and lay down on the floor in front of the TV, and watched the show.

The Tardis had just dematerialized when he realized he could still hear moaning. He rolled over, propping himself up on his elbow, to look at his dad.

“Dad? Are you all right?” He kept his voice low, so if his dad was still asleep he wouldn’t wake him up, or in case his dad’s headache was worse.

His dad just groaned, tossing a bit. His dad was starting to sweat, too, and had hair stuck to his forehead.

Was his dad sick? He didn’t like how pale and sweaty his dad was. 

He stood up and checked for the phone he kept in his pocket. Ever since he’d been attacked and kidnapped in his own home, he made sure he had a phone on him at all times.

Maybe he should call James and Q in case his dad really was sick. He leaned over his dad, wanting to check him, and stumbled back a few steps, startled, when his dad sat up with a gasp.

“Dad?”

His dad looked around, puzzled, and then focused on him with eyes that looked hard and cold. His dad asked him something in a language he didn’t know, sounding sharp and angry.

He shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re saying, Dad. Should I call —” He broke off as his dad got up and walked toward him, still sounding demanding and angry in that other language. It was familiar but not. It wasn’t Arabic, like the terrorists that had kidnapped him and his mom back in LA. It was like something on TV; Russian, maybe?

He skipped back, suddenly scared when his dad lunged angrily at him. Then he sidestepped another attempt to grab him and dove for the couch, sliding behind it. His heart pounded as he gasped for breath. His dad was standing right next to the couch.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, thankful that he still had it, and hit the speed dial. He definitely needed help. 

James answered the phone as he always did, “Bond.” This time he sounded like he wasn’t really paying attention to the call.

“James? It's me, Aiden. Dad — My dad’s real sick. Please come help!”

“What happened?” James’ voice turned sharp.

“Dad was asleep on the couch, and he woke up and yelled at me some other language, and now he’s trying to grab me. I don’t think he knows who I am.”

“Are you safe?”

“I’m under the couch. I don’t know what he’s going to do!” He hated sounding like a scared kid, but he hadn’t been this scared when he’d been kidnapped.

“Everything will be all right,” James’ voice shifted to calm and soothing. “Just a moment.”

He felt better just having James on the phone. He heard James saying something, probably to Q, and then came back to say, “Can you get to your room safely?”

“I don’t think I can get past him.”

His dad growled something, and a hand reached under the couch to grab him. 

“Please, James, I need help!” He could hear the terror in his voice as he kicked his leg free of his dad’s grip.

“Just hang on!” 

He could hear some muffled talking on the phone, then Q’s voice came over the line, saying, “Hello?”

“H— hello? Q?”

Q’s instantly responded, sounding just as reassuring as James had, “Yes, it’s me. Are you all right?”

“It’s my dad.” His voice wobbled. His dad was shouting in Russian again.

There was a burst of gunfire from the TV, and he heard his dad walk away from the couch. He looked out from under the couch, and saw his dad’s feet facing the TV. Whatever the gunfire had been from changed to a commercial. 

His dad had stopped shouting, but his breathing sounded harsh. Then his dad muttered something, and the commercial stopped abruptly as the TV was turned off.

“Aiden? What’s going on now?” Q sounded tense now, and he really wished Q would go back to sounding reassuring because he was really scared.

“I don’t know.” But he could hear his dad starting to walk around the apartment, drawers opening and closing, and things getting shifted around. The whole time his dad was muttering in Russian. “I think he’s looking for something.”

He heard the engine of the Aston Martin in the background as Q said, “Aiden, hold on. We’re on our way.” 

He just hoped they would get here soon. 

He heard his dad go towards the back of the apartment, to the bedrooms. He still didn’t dare to try to get out from under the couch. He wasn’t sure if he could make it outside the apartment before his dad realized what he was trying to do.

He gripped the phone tighter, listening to Q’s voice, which had gotten reassuring again. Then he heard his dad in the hall, and told Q, “He’s coming back out.”

But his dad’s footsteps didn’t stop.

“Oh no…”

“What? What is it? What’s happening?”

His dad continued to the front of the flat, his steps purposeful and firm.

“Q? I think he’s leaving.” He bit his lip. As scared as he was of his dad in the apartment with him, the thought of his dad going out and getting hurt or hurting someone else scared him even more.

_ “Shit.”  _ Then he could hear Q say to James, “Eyes on the road and go faster. Alec left the flat.”

Q spoke into the phone again, “Aiden? We’re coming. Hang on.”

He nodded, forgetting for a moment that Q couldn’t see him. “Okay, but please, hurry.”

Q kept talking to him calmly, and he stayed under the couch, safe, in case his dad came back.

Then, finally, Q said, “We’re on our way up. Just a few more minutes.”

“Okay.” He began inching his way out from under the couch.

 

~~~~

 

“We’re on your floor now. You can hang up and open the door.”

He let out a sob of relief and hurried to the door, opening it and peeking out to see James and Q coming toward him.

By now, he knew better than to interfere with an armed adult’s gun arm, so he went to Q, who immediately pulled him into a hug. He hugged back, finally feeling safe.

Then James asked him what happened. He told them all about their day, his dad’s headache, and what happened when his dad woke up.

“What could have triggered this episode?” Q asked, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

He shrugged. “Dad had that headache, and I think he was having a nightmare before he woke up. Do you think that could have done it?”

Q looked from him to James. “Possibly?”

James raked a hand through his hair, angry and frustrated. “I don’t know.”

Behind James, he saw his dad came in from the hallway, gun drawn and aimed at them, and he gasped.

At the same time, James spun, drawing and aiming his own gun. “Alec…”

“How did I get here? Who brought me here?” his dad said, his voice snarling the words, sounding like he had an accent like some of the bad guys on TV. 

James’ gun barrel dropped a bit, and he said, “Alec —”

Aiden watched, terrified, as Q glanced at James, then started walking toward his dad.

“Alec, it’s us. Please, put your gun down and let us help —”

“Stop where you are!” His dad aimed the gun directly at Q. “That is not me. I am Aleksei Sokolov, and you will answer my questions.”

He was close enough to hear James muttering under his breath, “Christ, Q, will you back off before you get killed?” Then James brought his gun back up and aimed it at his dad. “All right, Aleksei. Just put your gun down and we’ll give you all the answers you need.”

HIs dad turned his head to look at James. He sounded confused as he asked, “Who are you? I… I don’t… James?” 

Aiden held his breath along with James, hoping his dad started to remember again. But then his dad stiffened, glaring at them, and said, “No. You’re an MI6 trick. A trap. I will destroy them and burn MI6 to the ground.”

He felt confused. What was his dad talking about? But then James did something he totally didn’t expect. He put his gun down on the floor, and asked his dad, “What do you have against MI6, Aleksei?”

“They killed my lover. They tried to kill me. They failed. They will come to regret that failure.”

He didn’t know what his dad was talking about. He kept as still and as quiet as possible while James kept talking to his dad. 

“What happened to your lover, Aleksei? Why do you think it was MI6?” 

Then he noticed that James kept moving a bit to the side, and his dad would move too, keeping all of his attention on James. 

He jumped when Q spoke in his ear. “He’s distracted. Walk — slowly — towards the bedrooms.”

He nodded, and he and Q began making their way towards the rear of the apartment.

Once they were out of sight, Q put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “Pack a bag for you and your dad. We’re going to bring the two of you home after James finishes talking Alec down.”

He clung to the hope that Q was right and that James would be able to help his dad. “Okay.”

He led Q into his room, and got his bag out of his closet. He pulled out some shirts and jeans and tossed them onto the bed with some socks. He left it all with Q and slipped into the hallway and into his dad’s room, and got his dad’s bag.

He stood there, staring at his dad’s closet, feeling lost. What should he get? How long would they stay with James and Q? 

Q came up behind him, carrying the other bag. “I’ll take care of your dad’s clothes. Go get anything out of the bathroom you think you two will need.”

There was a  _ thud _ from the living room. He spun around, swallowing, then he shared a wide-eyed look with Q.

“Stay here, I’ll go check.” Q emphasized his words with a hand on his shoulder, pushing down slightly, so that he’d stay in place.

After a few anxious minutes that felt like hours, Q came back. 

“Your dad is unconscious.”

He started at Q in shock. “Will he be all right?”

Q hesitated. “I don’t know. I hope so. Help me finish packing, and then we’ll take your bags out to the living room. Hopefully Alec will recover by the time we’re ready to go.”

 

~~~~

 

He sat on the couch, the bags piled nearby. Q was standing over James and Alec, splitting his attention between all of them.

He tried not to look directly at his dad and James. When he did, he had a funny twisting in his stomach. What if his dad didn't wake up?

But then, finally, his dad started to wake up. Except, his dad was still acting strange, just in a different way. Now his dad was confused and slow, kinda like that girl in the Harry Potter books could be.

He got up, going over to Q and tugged on his arm. When Q looked at him, he whispered, “Is — does my dad have brain damage?”

Q’s face was grave as he answered, his voice just as low. “I’m not sure. Don’t worry about it right now. He might just need a little longer to recover.”

Then James said, “Take Aiden home. I’ll follow with Alec.”

 

~~~~

 

He and Q took the bags down to his dad’s BMW.

They were quiet on the trip to James and Q’s apartment. He spent the whole trip worrying about his dad. What was going to happen now? What if his dad stayed that way? His dad wouldn’t be able to take care of himself let alone Aiden. Would James and Q abandon them? Why would they want him or his dad around like that?

He could see Q giving him worried looks, but he wasn’t ready to ask his questions yet.

It wasn’t until Q was tucking him in for the night, after making up the couch in the office for him to sleep on, that he got up the courage to ask.

“Q? How long will you and James let me and Dad stay?”

Q crouched down lower, so he was looking directly into Q’s eyes. “You and your dad can stay as long as you want. Forever.”

His throat felt tight, and he could feel tears threatening in the back of his eyes, as he asked his next question. “Will my dad — will he get better?”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Aiden. None of us will. I don’t know. I hope he will. But whatever happens, remember that James and I will take care of both of you. Now, whatever you hear, or don’t hear, tonight, stay in bed unless one of us comes for you. Can you promise me that?”

He sniffled and nodded.

Q smiled at him, then awkwardly kissed him goodnight.

He lay in the darkened room after Q went out, turning off the lights and closing the door. He didn't hear anything from the rest of the apartment.

Eventually, his eyes closed in sleep.

 

~~~~

 

He woke up, confused at first to find himself in Q’s office. When he remembered everything that had happened the night before he wondered if it would be okay if he got up, or if he should stay in the office.

Eventually, pressing matters drove him from the room.

After he was done in the bathroom, he stayed in the living room, petting Pax and Fort, wondering if he should go back into Q’s office or go to the kitchen and get breakfast. It was, technically, a school day, but he was hoping no one would make him go to school.

Before he could make up his mind, the other bedroom door opened. His dad was smiling as he said something to James.

“Dad!” He grinned and rushed across the room to give his dad a hug. “You’re all right!”

His dad broke off the whatever he was saying in mid-sentence and opened his arms, picking him up with a squeeze. ”Hey, kid!” 

He felt like laughing. “I’m glad you’re better!”

His dad put him back on the floor. “Yep. I’m fine. And I just heard your stomach gurgling, so I’d say it was long past time for breakfast.”

He ducked his head, a little embarrassed. He felt like he was eating all the time, lately. 

“Good. If you’re hungry, then you’ll eat my cooking,” James called over his shoulder, heading for the kitchen.

Q followed him. “No, James, we do  _ not _ need an elaborate breakfast —” 

His dad looked at him, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “James really is a good cook, but ‘simple’ is not in his vocabulary. C’mon, maybe we can locate some cereal —”

“How do you two feel about crepes?” James called from the kitchen.

He giggled as his dad rolled his eyes and called back, “What’s wrong with regular pancakes?”

 


	3. Aiden's Christmas, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is recovering, and he and Aiden move in with James and Q. After a bit of stubbornness, they get used to each other. After all, it's not easy to be a kid living with two spies and a Quartermaster!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Aiden's version of the rest of the events of [Christmas Panic.]()

 

_ Hi Jake, _

_ How was your Christmas? Ours was all right. You remember I said that Dad, James, and Q almost forgot all about it? Everything got pretty hectic before we could have Christmas. It was late but at least we had it! Yay presents! Q got me a really cool laptop, James got me a Playstation 4, and Dad gave me some games for the PS4 and a case for the laptop. _

_ One of the things that happened is that me and my dad moved in with James and Q. It’s nice. Q’s been talking about getting a bigger “flat” (that’s British for apartment) or maybe even a house.  _

_ School’s been out for vacation — “holidays”  — but I’ve been hanging out with some new friends. Don’t worry, you’re still my best friend! Maybe you can come visit sometime! _

_ Aiden _

 

~~~~  

 

The happy mood lasted until after breakfast, which had been wonderful. His dad was right, James really was a good cook. 

But after breakfast, when they got up to clear the table, he’d asked what they were going to do for the day. Q told him that Merlin was coming over to take him to school, and he should get ready.

“What? No!” He stared, astonished, at Q. There was no way he was going to leave his dad now. Besides, how was he supposed to pay attention in class? He was just going to worry about his dad.

“Aiden, you have to go to school.” That was James, turning around after putting a stack of plates on the counter. 

He glared at the traitor. He’d thought that James would be on his side. His hands balled into fists as he looked at James and then Q. “No! I won’t go! You can’t make me!” 

“Aiden, please don’t yell.” Q said, his voice overly calm.

“It’s all right, son,” his dad said, with a glance toward James that he almost missed.

Then he realized that the three adults were all drifting toward the open space of the living room, and away from the close space between the dining table and the kitchen. What was going on? He moved out around the table and followed, coming to a stop and staring at his dad, James, and Q, all standing in a loose semicircle in front of him.

He looked at his dad, making sure his eyes were wide and pleading. “Dad? Tell them I don’t need to go to school today!”

But his dad just frowned a bit at Q and James, and then looked at him with an uncomfortable expression. “I’m sorry, Aiden. You should go to school.”

He shook his head, shocked that they were all against him. “No! Dad, please. I want to stay with you!”

“Aiden —”

He didn’t want to hear it. His dad was going to push him away, and send him to school. He couldn’t. What if his dad got sick again? What if James and Q decided they didn't want either of them around anymore in case his dad got sick again? 

_ “No!  _ I need to stay with you!”

Then James walked over to him with a serious expression. 

He didn’t care. Before James could say anything, he insisted, “I won’t go to school. I want to stay home with Dad!”

“Aiden. Look at your father.” James’ face was stern.

He reluctantly looked at his dad. Q was next to him, one hand on his dad’s arm, comforting. They were both looking at him and James. Q looked disappointed, and his dad looked worred.

His jaw firmed and he turned back to James, ready to argue more.

James raised a finger before he could speak. “Before you use that as proof we need to let you stay home so we can end this, you need to think about something.”

He scowled, and folded his arms across his chest. 

James watched him for a moment, long enough for him to shift uneasily, before starting to talk. “Q and I have to tell your father what he did yesterday. He’s going to be upset and embarrassed. Now. Think about that. Would you want your father to see you embarrassed over something?”

He bit his lip, not wanting to admit James might have a point.

“Fathers don’t want their sons to see them as less than they are. Your dad won’t want you to see him that way. Help your dad maintain his image in your eyes, okay?”

He cast a guilty glance at his dad and nodded reluctantly. “But I still don’t want to go to school today. It’s… I don’t know, but I  _ can’t.  _ Please? I could… I could stay in Q’s office?” He bit his lip, looking hopefully from James to Q.

James looked at Q, and he couldn’t tell what that expression meant. Q nodded, though. Maybe that was good?

“I’ll call Mrs. Hudson and see if she can watch Aiden today, and Merlin can take him over.”

His shoulders slumped. They were still sending him away, but at least he didn’t have to go to school. And visiting Mrs. Hudson meant visiting Sherlock, too. He had never met anyone quite like Sherlock before, although there was something similar between Sherlock, Q, and Merlin. Maybe it was because they were cousins. “Okay.”

“Good lad,” James said, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

 

~~~~

 

Everything hadn’t been  _ fine, _ exactly, but things settled down. For a few days there was something tense between his dad, James, and Q. They wouldn’t tell him what the problem was, but they all made sure that he knew that it wouldn’t result in them sending him away. That didn’t stop him from worrying about it.

Q took him shopping for bedroom furniture and sheets and stuff, while his dad and James moved the furniture in the living room to make room for Q’s office stuff, and then moved in his new bed, dresser, and desk. Q took the time to tell him that he was happy that he and his dad moved in, and they really were welcome as long as they wanted to stay.

He had smiled back, starting to really believe it, but it wasn’t until the day the tenseness went away — and he still didn’t know what the tenseness was or what had gotten rid of it — and his dad, James, and Q started to talk about maybe having Christmas soon, that he started to relax.

Before they decided when to have Christmas, his dad and Q went on a date. At first, they were going to leave him with Mrs. Hudson, but James surprised them all and volunteered to watch him instead. 

While discussing their plans for that evening, he’d asked James if his friends, Steve and Vin, could come over for a while. James had said yes. 

For some reason, his dad had said, “Good luck. Call if you need rescuing,” to James as he and Q left for their date.

 

~~~~

 

After his dad and Q left, he looked at James, wondering what to do. Steve and Vin wouldn’t be there for another half hour.

James was looking back at him, equally uncertain. Then James took a deep breath. “Your friends will be here soon. Is there anything you need to get done? Room clean, dishes put away?”

He hadn’t liked the idea of being assigned chores, but really, they hadn’t given him that many. He nodded. “Yeah, I got that all done.”

“Ah. Good.” James still seemed a bit lost, and glanced around the room. “Do you… I could teach you poker?”

Before he could decide how to answer that, because he knew how to poker already, there was a knock on the door.

James immediately tensed, his hand making an abortive movement towards the shoulder holster he wasn’t wearing, and then snapped, “Stay back.”

His eyes went wide as James moved between him and the door. “It’s probably just Vin and Steve.”

James shot him a sharp glance, but didn’t relax. “If it is, they’re early.” He switched on the monitor next to the door.

It flared to life, showing the security camera’s view of the hallway outside the door. Two boys filled the screen, looking at each other and then back at the door. Then one of the boys reached out and knocked again.

James opened the door, his bulk still blocking the opening, even knowing it was Vin and Steve.

Aiden stared at James’ back. The obvious paranoia was, well, paranoid, and yet, it did make him feel safer. Ever since the terrorists had come into their home in LA, he sometimes got nervous when someone was at the door, even though he didn’t want to admit it. But, this time they knew it was Vin and Steve. He was going to have to think about that later.

James stepped back, allowing the twins to come in.

To his relief, they simply slipped past James, ignoring the oddity. He grinned at them. “Hi! I’m glad you could make it!”

“Hi, Aiden! Sorry we’re a bit early. Our mum dropped us off. We’ve been looking forward to seeing your new place.” Vin grinned, cutting a quick glance at James.

Steve nodded, hanging back a little behind his brother.

He took a deep breath and began the introductions. “James, these are my friends, Vin and Steve. Guys, this is….” He trailed off uncertainly, looking to James for help. They hadn’t discussed it before the twins came over.

James stepped forward, coming to the rescue with a charming smile on his face. “James Bond. Aiden’s…” And there, James got stuck, too.

Vin smirked. ”Hi, Mr. B. Thanks for letting us come over to play with Aiden.”

James looked as though he’d swallowed a lemon, but said, “Of course. Aiden, why don’t you take your friends into your room? I’ll go start dinner.”

“Okay. C’mon guys, my room is this way.”

 

~~~~

 

The rest of the evening went surprisingly well. He, Vin, and Steve hung out in his room, playing Pokémon and talking, until James called them to dinner. After dinner they watched a movie.

The whole time, James stayed nearby; close enough to be a constant presence, but far enough away to not be stifling. He had to admit, having James around was nice. Comforting, like having his dad around would be.

James seemed a little more relaxed when a knock sounded over the end of the movie and he went to check the door, but Aiden was learning to pick up the tells that James gave off in predator mode. Once more, James kept his body between them and the door as he opened it after a glance at the monitor.

“Can I help you?” James’ voice wasn't very friendly.

“Good evening, Mr…?” 

Aiden darted a glance at Vin and Steve. That sounded like their uncle.

“Bond. James Bond.”

“Mr. Bond. I’m here to pick up the twins. I’m their uncle, Sebastian Moran.”

James nodded, and stepped back, still keeping between them and Mr. Moran.

Vin stood up and grabbed his coat off the end of the couch. “Uncle Seb! I thought Dad was going to pick us up.”

“Hi, Uncle Sebastian.” Steve nudged his twin. “Dad’s probably got too involved with work and stayed late.”

“Now, lads,” Mr. Moran rumbled, “Don’t talk about your dad that way. Your mum wanted me to come get you on my way home from work. She and your dad went on a date and they got delayed, but they’ll be home by the time I get you there.”

James looked at Mr. Moran sharply. “Are you sure? Vin and Steve are welcome to stay here if their parents are going to be late.”

Mr. Moran looked at James with an odd expression. Aiden frowned a bit, trying to figure out what was going on between them. It was almost like two big dogs, trying to decide if they were going to fight or not.

Then Mr. Moran grinned. “Thank you, Mr. Bond, but we’ll be fine. I tend to babysit the lads more often than not. We’re used to each other.”

“All right.” James nodded stiffly, eyes narrowed.

He was unsure of what was going on, and traded glances with Vin and Steve. They didn’t look quite as confused as he felt, but they still seemed a bit puzzled by the adults. 

Mr. Moran ignored James and turned towards them. “Hello, Aiden, you’re looking well. Lads, get your things and say goodbye.”

“Hi, Mr. Moran.” He frowned, confused that he hadn’t had a chance to respond to the greeting before the twins’ uncle was moving on.

Steve pulled his coat on, and said, “Bye, Aiden. See you in school on Monday,” as he went to his uncle’s side. 

Vin frowned thoughtfully before following. “Bye, Aiden. Mr. B, thank you for allowing my brother and I to come over and play.”

Mr. Moran put a hand on each twin’s shoulder. “Yes,  _ Mr. B,  _ thank you for your hospitality. Enjoy your evening, Aiden. Come on, lads. Let’s be off.”

Aiden went to James’ side as Mr. Moran and his friends left. The door closed behind them and he decided to put the strangeness between James and Mr. Moran out of his mind. He looked up at James. 

“Thank you, James.” He meant for letting the twins come over, and for being protective, and for things he wasn’t sure about yet.

“You’re welcome, Aiden.” James looked down at him with a baffled smile. 

James didn’t understand what he meant, but that was okay. “How about some ice cream?” 

“I think we can manage that.” James’ smile quirked into a lopsided grin.

The security system chirped. His dad and Q must be home from their date. He watched James’ expression turn into eager anticipation as the door swung open, letting them hear his dad and Q chuckling about something.

“James!” His dad stretched out the arm that wasn’t around Q and pulled James close for a kiss. When he released James, Q took his turn kissing James, all three of them holding each other.

Aiden watched, a little uncomfortable, because parents kissing was kinda gross. But it also made him feel good to see that his dad, James, and Q loved each other.

When they let each other go, his dad looked at him. “Hey, kid. Did you have a good time?”

At the same time, he heard Q murmur to James, “I see you survived the preadolescent onslaught.”

He smiled at his dad. “Yeah, it was great.”

“Good.” His dad’s eyes cut to the side as James came up beside him him and a strong arm curled around him in a tight hug.

“We did have a great time, didn’t we, Aiden?”

He laughed, and squirmed a bit, trying to get free. “Yeah, we did.”

Then he staggered a bit as James suddenly let go, tousling his hair. He almost whined, ‘Da-aaaad!’ but caught himself in time, changing it to, “Ja-aaames! Stop!”

His dad, James, and Q all chuckled, and he glared at them, disgruntled.

James caught him again in a quick one-armed hug and released him. “We were just going to get ice cream.”

Both his dad and Q looked interested. 

“That is an  _ excellent _ way to end the evening,” Q said, grinning at them.

“Right this way, then, my dear.” James put an arm around Q and they headed toward the kitchen. 

His dad slung an arm around his shoulders and they started out after the other two.

“How are you really doing, Aiden?”

He smiled up at his dad. “I”m doing fine, Dad. Really.”

And he was. His new life was unexpected, but he wouldn’t trade it for his old life.

 

~~~~

 

The morning after they’d had their Christmas, Aiden sat down with his new laptop to write an email to Jake. Maybe he’d been a little kid about wanting Christmas, but it was something normal, something his life — and his dad’s — hadn’t been for a while.

As he typed, he thought about the last few weeks. Moving in and getting settled had involved more than just fitting all their stuff into the apartment. James and Q had had to make adjustments for him and his dad living with them. He knew it wasn’t easy for them to suddenly have a kid like him underfoot, but James and Q seemed to be as happy he was there as they were that his dad was there.

His dad, James, and Q seemed to have a good relationship. Seeing the way they talked to each other and did stuff together made him feel better about everything that had happened over the last year. 

James was turning out to be a great second father. Stepdad? Papa? Pop? He’d almost whined ‘Da-aaad’ at him the other day after Steve and Vin left, but he had caught himself just in time. 

“Aiden!” James called from the living room, reminding him that they were supposed to play one of the new games together.

“Coming!” He hurriedly finished his email and hit send. Then, feeling a bit nervous, he went out to the living room.

James was sprawled on the floor in front of the TV, with one of the games ready to start.

He dropped down next to James, and nonchalantly asked, “What are we playing, Pop?”

He held his breath nervously as silence stretched through the room. He could feel all three of the adults staring at him, and fought not to look around, trying to keep his attention on James.

A huge grin spread over James’ face. “We’re playing  _ Need for Speed.” _

“Okay, Pop.” He smiled shyly back. “Hand over a controller?”

He could see James trying to rein in the smile to adopt a more serious expression, but the wide grin kept slipping out.

He darted a quick glance at his dad and Q. His dad smiled at him warmly and nodded.

Q was watching James — his pop — with a soft expression.

He was going to have to come up with something for Q, too. He took the controller that his pop handed him, and settled down to play the game, with his own wide smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to RavenOceana, for ideas and Brit-picking!

**Author's Note:**

> I love reviews, comments, and any other sort of communication. Feel free to stop in to say hi. You can find me on Tumblr at leavesdancing.tumblr.com.


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